Is it too late to get the flu vaccine this year?
No, it is not too late. Ideally, to be covered by the vaccine in time for Christmas, you would need to be vaccinated by Wednesday of this week. It takes up to a fortnight after the flu shot for the vaccine to be effective against influenza. But with the flu likely to be circulating at a high rate for a number of weeks, getting the vaccine between now and Christmas will help.
I got the flu vaccine last year- that should keep me protected this winter, shouldn’t it?
I’m afraid not. Influenza strains are constantly changing due to genetic mutation, with the pace of genetic change much higher than for Sars-CoV-2 -the virus that causes Covid. The strains that go into the vaccine are reviewed twice each year by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which selects vaccine strains to match the next season’s predicted circulating strains.
So has the make-up of the vaccine changed this year?
Yes, it has. The WHO has recommended that the vaccine have three components this year. For the last ten years or so, we have been getting a quadrivalent flu vaccine, but one of the strains of influenza B traditionally include in the flu shot has all but disappeared. There have been no confirmed cases caused by the Influenza B/Yamagata lineage since spring 2020. This year’s trivalent vaccine still has one influenza B component as well as two versions of commonly circulating influenza A virus.
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Is the flu vaccine available free of charge?
Yes, it is offered free of charge to recommended groups, including those aged 60 and over, healthcare workers, anyone who is pregnant and people with a long-term health condition. Children aged 2-17 years can receive a free nasal spray flu vaccine. The Minister for Health has broadened the eligible groups this year including reducing the age of eligibility for older people. In addition to protecting children themselves, it reduces the risk of children transmitting infection to others, including older, more vulnerable people. The vaccine is available from family doctors and pharmacists.
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Are there side- effects associated with the flu vaccine?
Yes, there are, albeit mainly minor ones. You may have a sore arm at the injection site and sometimes people experience more generalised symptoms such as fever and tiredness. These are expected and reflect the immune system reacting appropriately to the vaccine, and are mostly mild and short-term. Full blown allergic reactions can occur, but are rare.
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